Jump to content

Tom Hill

2023 Subscriptions
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    850

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    13

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Tom Hill

  3. Ronde Van Vlaanderen - Pics and tales

    in Sportives / Audax / Tours / Long-distance

    Posted

    The most painful, fantastic, awful and exhilarating experience I have ever had on a bike. The cobbles hmmmmn ..........think of quarry floors between parallel lines. Bone jarring, tendon tearing on the flats. Brake levers vibrating like a humbing bird's wings on the descent; both mind numbingly terrifying and turbo charged, adrenaline fuelled ecstasy at the same time, especially with a sharp left hander at the bottom.

     

    The highlight for me was leaving the third feed stop about 100 miles or so into the ride; thirteen strong, the Yellow and Blue train, flying down the road, whizzing past everyone. It was truly a sight to behold. I am proud to call myself a Johnstone Wheeler!

     

    The bummer.

    Wrong turning at Zegelsem on the second visit to that junction, following several other riders, I could see others on the main road coming back! must be a loop. I followed the guy in front who got further ahead through Luepegen, Melden and halfway to Kluisberg. Eventually in the dark recesses, it occurred to my exhausted brain that something wasn't quite right. So I headed back along the main drag and at Melden asked a kindly, grass cutting native if this was the route for the Tour of Flanders. "Oh .... take the second turning on the right" said he.

    Off I went with renewed vigour. Only at the top of the Koppenberg, for the second time, when I saw some plain trees in a field on the left, did I think "I have been here before!"

    In preference for death by exhaustion to killing myself quickly, by descending the Koppenberg, I continued on the long descent down to the main drag. With the time now approaching 5:30pm my options at this point were

     

    1. Repeat the loop climbing hills 10 to 14 all over again.

    2. With fading light search out the sat nav and ride back to Ninove.

     

    Option 2, seemed like the sane option, out came the trusty iphone. 36km (20miles) to Ninove. Having cycled something close to an extra 18 miles I found that I was only 1 mile closer to Ninove and the end of the Tour than I was had I followed the correct route!

    Notwithstanding an altercation with two of Belgium's finest who eventually relented and agreed that I could cycle on, providing I put my rear light on and did not deviate from the cycle lanes, I reached the N8 and headed to Ninove. Eventually, at something like 8:15pm I arrived back at the car park where I was met by Mr MacLean. Not wanting to miss out on my "freeby" tee shirt I cycled the extra 400 yards there and back to hand in my number.

     

    So 280+ km, the Koppenberg twice and technically I did not finish!! :angryfire

    Stoooopid!

     

     

    Thanks to everyone for organising such a fantastic, memorable weekend.

     

    In the words of Mul - C'moan the Joansin!!

     

    Tom

  18. sat/sun

    in Club Runs

    Posted

    Enjoyed the ride today, especially after yesterday's weather.

    74 miles so less than last week but more hill climbing, which I am told will come in handy in Belgium!

×
×
  • Create New...